Hook and strap assemblies have commonly been employed to lift, tow or restrain loads. Generally, the hook and strap assemblies include at least one grab type hook having a throat which will accept and be secured against a securing member, such as a rail of a truck bed, for example. A common problem experienced with grab hooks, however, is that the hook will frequently slip from the securing member before tension is applied to the strap by a winch, for example. Thus, it is often required to reconnect the hook to the rail. The frequent slipping of the hook can cause a great deal wasted time and effort, as well as aggravation to an operator attempting to utilize the hook and strap assembly.
Although many efforts have been made to develop hooks with rail retaining features, the efforts to date have failed to produce a hook of simple and inexpensive design that can be reliably retained on a rail prior to the application of tension. It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a hook, of simple and inexpensive design, with a retaining mechanism for reliably retaining the hook on a rail which extends through the throat of the hook.